Our walk with the Lord and our desire To See the Glory

Tag Archives: ninos de la luz

During the last few months we have been helping with Niños de la Luz. This has been a great opportunity for all of us. Our boys get to practice and learn more Spanish as they talk and play with the boys who live there and Heather spends time with Summer who lives there. Jessica has been helping with the schooling of the lower grades which has also stretched her in learning more Spanish. I have been fixing things, helping with things of the new house and working with the short term teams.

We have been stretched in so many ways over the last 10 months. The challenges of finding a place to live to the challenge of cars that are old and abused. The strains it puts on the family relations and testing of our faith that has grown and strengthened us. God has been good!

During the first part of July some of our friends from Medford have been in Santo Dominigo with YWAM (JUCUM) and we have gone to visit and work with them. Watching our kids join in the work, learning dances, dramas and even speaking to people has been a huge blessing to me as a father.

One thing you can be praying is for us to know our next big step. We have been talking about going to Mexico to a Spanish school for a few months so that we would be more effective in ministering the gospel and really being able to deepen our relationships here.

This week is Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, much of this country does not celebrate it in a “Holy” fashion. Please keep us in prayers, the roads here are considered deadly and many are driving intoxicated. Loud music and big parties are the norm around the touristy areas (bars and beaches.) We are limiting our travel some, but we are also not living in fear.

Since this week is a national holiday, the boys at Niños de la Luz have the week off from school. We joined them Friday for a play day and had a great time with the boys and the other families working at NDLL.

Josiah in the Sack Race

Eating stuff during game

Today we went up to visit some families in Villa Paraiso. Little nervous about the roads, but we did fine and made it back alive. Don’t think I will be heading out anywhere tonight!

One man in the village, Jose, has been bleeding for 12 days and has to go to Santiago Monday to be checked out why. Please lift him up in prayer. This may be something related to his past, since before he came to Christ he struggled in drugs. Also, hold his family up as they are all deeply concerned for him. Pray for God’s peace.

Everyone knows those times when things just change. Everything seems to be out of your hands and there are a lot of unknowns. Well, we are in that season now, but we have some things we can share with you about those changes.

Niños de la Luz boys (with Summer and Hannah)

Currently we are volunteering with Niños de la Luz up in the hills. It is a ministry here in Sosua that has a heart for street children. The family-like structure there combined with God’s amazing love has drawn us all to want to serve there. There are two areas of ministry, first is to younger street kids whom they take in as family and the other is to older boys who are at the age of graduation and need to be taught life skills. Currently they are building a new home to house the younger boys and until that is finished the life skills portion is on hold.

This ministry started in Venezuela and now is also in the Dominican Republic. The focus there are the boys, bringing them up in the love of Christ, and the hope of someday these boys having families of their own in which they will be equipped to lead spiritually and physically able to provide.

Pray with us as we ask the Lord for continued guidance as we desire to follow Him.

Just our little time spent so far visiting the Ranch has grown our love for these children. We have seen the love between those there to work with the kids and the kids. It really feels like a large loving family up there.

Besides helping some with staining boards for the ceiling in the new house and helping build some bunk beds, I was able to put to use skills from the past in wood working by replicating a table and a couple of benches to match.